Mythology High
by Witherfang
Summary: Jason Hearte is locked in his bedroom while his divorced father works, liitle does he know, that the great Goddess Athena wants something winthin Jason that he has no idea about. The fate of the world is at stake as the goddess attempts to free his soul.


Chapter One: A New Home

It's Monday, and it's the last day of school in Tucson, Arizona. Jason told his friends the horrific news, and they were sad to see him go. His family was supposed to go on a big family vacation this year, but instead, Jason's parents got a divorce and his dad moved away from here as far as he could. Jason spent the last day of school at home, packing for the trip to his dad's house. He was going to go live with him during the summer; he now lives all the way in Oregon, which is where Jason would be going to school the following year.

"Just pack up and leave me already. I don't want your presence to linger here for the rest of my miserable, lonely life. The cab will be here for you soon." She left my room crying, Jason felt crushed because he felt like he was abandoning her, and everything else that mattered most in his life. His mom came back in the room, "Jason, the cab is here. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I am positive mom. Bye, I will see you later." Jason left her there on the porch, crying and waving after him in the backseat of the cab. He waved back from the back window.

The cab driver pulled up to the airport and he boarded the plane to Oregon. Jason never liked flying, it made him nervous and this time, he was flying alone. This made him feel worse. He wanted to board first class, but the ticket was too expensive. So, he ended up in coach with crowded rooms and seats. He sat near an odd couple that seemed to be getting a divorce once they landed. Jason felt bad, they looked really happy together, that was until they started to have an argument. It seems that the other passengers couldn't resist staying out of the couple's business because just about the whole plane was listening to their conversation. Jason looked dejectedly out the window the rest of the trip.

The plane landed in Salem, Oregon Airport. Jason hated airports; they are so confusing and crowded. The parking spaces that are located in the front of the airport were crowded with people and cars. Jason found his dad; he was holding a cardboard sign with his name across. The handwriting was a little bad and his name was crooked. But he immediately forgave him when he saw the limousine and climbed inside next to him. The drive was half an hour long. Jason's dad stayed quiet part of the time. He broke the silence when he asked, "How is your mother?"

"Fine," I said sheepishly. "She is starting to nag me too much."

"Well, that's what your mother does. How was school? Did you finish the year good?"

"I failed."

"Is that why you came here?"

"Yeah, Mom thought it would be a good experience for me if I came here. You know something different. Mom thinks that I have post dramatic stress because of the divorce. She thinks that if I came here, I would do better."

"I see." The conversation was awkward at first, and Jason was glad when they pulled up to the long, narrow driveway to his Dad's house. The chauffer opened the door for them, and they got out of the car. Jason looked at the new landscape spread out in front of him. There was a fountain near the front door, and the grass could be smelled from here. The broken family approached the front door, which was made of solid, thick oak wood, and it was heavy when I pushed it open and saw the entrance hall. There was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

Jason's dad showed him around his house, there were exactly eight bedrooms, and he would be living in one. Each room had its own theme. One room had a western theme; another room had a sports theme. I guess this is what my dad did with his free time, when he had any. He didn't know much about Jason because he was always gone, and Jason chose the sports room right off the back. He liked the way it looked with all the trophies, even if they weren't all his, and he would feel the most comfortable here. The other rooms all were based on what my dad thought Jason liked, which made the rest of the trip boring.

Dad left me alone to pack. Dad didn't stick around to long and ask me continuous questions like Mom does. Jason looked in the closet, and was glad that he found nothing in there, so he threw all his stuff in there. He promised himself would unpack it later, knowing that it wouldn't get done. There was a folder on his bed. One that Jason never noticed before, he shrugged and picked it up and looked inside. It was the folder he needed for school. All of his records were in the folder, his class schedule, a map, and even an I.D., that was required for all students to have with them at all times. Jason looked at the I.D., and found that his name was changed to match Dad's last name. He was a little mad about it, but then again, he didn't care. Jason lay down on his bed, and looked aimlessly out the skylight in his room. He desperately wanted to get out of Oregon, It was cold, and early spring rain fell frequently.

Jason fell asleep quickly that night. The rain was pouring, and he could hear Dad crack the door open a little bit to check on him. Like he was going anywhere, he just got here, and had no friends, so what would he do. Every time Dad checked on him, Jason heard him latch the door behind him as he left. He was locking me in my own room, like Jason was his prisoner!

The following morning, I woke up to the smell of French toast and eggs Jason's stomach growled deafeningly. Jason wasn't used to big breakfasts', but he didn't want to make Dad upset, so he ate as much as he could.

Dad tried to start a conversation by saying without looking up from his breakfast and newspaper, "School starts next week." He then stared straight at Jason waiting for a response. "Terrific." Jason said looking up, and then back down as quickly as he could. Jason didn't want to go to school here at all. After three weeks of being here, locked in his room, Dad got an Xbox, but no games, so it sat in the room collecting dust. Jason was ready to go back home to Mom. He could use some of her sympathy right now. Jason couldn't stand this place any longer. He never saw Dad after breakfast. He left after reading the newspaper, drinking his coffee black and eating one piece of dry toast without any butter.

Not that Jason really wanted to see him, it would start useless conversations that would do nothing to either of them, but it gets lonely being here in Oregon. Jason was locked in my own room, waiting for something exciting to happen. Dad locked me in there for the night, and checked on me frequently, then says goodbye to him in the morning and goes on his way to work, then unlocks Jason when he comes home.

Chapter Two: My Way around Town

Jason was locked in his room again one morning by his dad. It was a Friday, he was bored, and he hasn't been outside in the three months he has been here. Jason wanted out of the house. He wanted to go outside, and even though he didn't know anyone here at Oregon, he still wanted to go outside, it was better than being locked up in the room.

Jason climbed next to the window that was over the bed, he went to unlatch it, but it wouldn't budge. The window was locked, and also barred on the opposite side, so there was no way of getting out. Jason remembered in the spy movies he used to watch with his parents together when he was a kid, that there was always a trap door somewhere. He felt around the walls, and there was nothing. He lifted up the carpet and there it was! Jason lifted its latch, and the door lifted up easily and climbed inside.

The door leaded me to a dark, damp tunnel, which I presumed to be the basement or an old wine cellar. Jason walked through it, feeling his way with the damp walls, and found a soft, eerie light at the end. He came out of the tunnel, and it felt good to be finally outside. He walked to the school that he would be going to in two days, it looked different from any other school he has been to. A tall iron fence ran all the way around it. It looked expensive and baffling. He wondered if everyone in this town had houses like Dads.

Jason still continued to roam the town, until he came across a library. It felt discomfited just standing at the edge of the steps. It was actually quite beautiful. There were marble pillars he couldn't really explain. He edged closer to the library, there was a short flight of steps, about ten or so, and he was already stepping on the first one. I got to about eight steps until he heard someone yell, "Hey!"

Jason spun around, and found a girl, standing on the first step of the library. He came down the stairs, and approached her. "What are you doing at the old library?"

"I was going to go in." he said, a little annoyed that she was bothering him. 

"You can't go in there."

"Why can't I?"

"Because it's abandoned, it's been that way for a decade now."

Jason turned and saw that there was a "closed" sign on the front door and the handles were chained. He didn't see that before. Suddenly, his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He knew it was Dad. So, he didn't answer it. He was interested with the girl, who was still standing in front of him, staring. But not at Jason, she was staring at the library; it felt like she was looking right through Jason. He thought she had been in this town for awhile, so he asked, "How long have you lived here?"

"I have lived here since I was born."

"So you know your way around right?"

"Yeah, I guess you can say that."

"Well, can you show me around? I have only been here for a little while."

"Sure, how long have you been here?"

"About three months. But it's my dad. He is a little over protective about his only son. I bet my mom threatened him that if anything happened to me, she would kill him."

"Would she really?"

"Definitely."

"Okay, should I get this tour started?"

"Yes, go for it."

"Okay, let's go this way, I will show you the way around."

The tour seemed to take them the rest of the day. They ended up at the edge of town, and she said to Jason, "Well, this is where the tour ends. That way is my house. Do you remember how to get home?"

"No, I don't."

"Well, tell me your address." Jason gave her his address, and she pointed him in the right direction. She also programmed her number in his cell phone. He didn't mind because she was very beautiful and during the tour he was growing quite fond of her. Also, she gave him a map of the city, and marked all the places where we visited, that they picked up at City Hall. Jason told her that he would see her later, and she also said farewell. Which he thought was strange because what kind of teenager in this century would say farewell? But he let the thought only ponder in his thoughts for one more second, then, the cell phone buzzed in his pocket again, this time Jason answered it.

Chapter Three: Rampage

Jason heard his dad scream, "Where are you?" over the phone, and told him that he was alright. He started to yell at him, but he wasn't listening to him, he started walking home, he couldn't stop thinking about the girl. Jason finally got home, walked right past his angry father, and went into his room. Later, Dad knocked on the door, "Hey. Can I am coming in." Jason thought he seemed calmer, but he could still sense the fierceness in his voice. He didn't want to hear a long talk, but he let his dad in the room.

Dad let himself into the room anyway, and all he said to Jason was, "Stay in your room until school starts. Don't leave. I lock you in here for your own good."

"Why? Dad, I am a teenager, at least let me be one until school starts."

"No, I put you in here to protect you."

"What could you possibly be protecting me from?"

"I wish I could tell you, but they would get mad." Dad started to talk to himself after that as he left the room. Jason sat there frozen in the middle of his room, stunned because he thought that his dad could possibly be crazy. Jason checked the map the girl gave him, for a mental asylum for dad. Too bad, there wasn't one. This reminded him, that he didn't even ask the girl for her name. He remembered she gave him her phone number, so Jason picked up his cell phone, and looked in the contacts. He finally found her under "tour guide." Jason laughed, because he thought it was hilarious. He wanted to contact her, but it was time to eat dinner, so Jason threw the phone on his bed, but it missed and hit the wall next to the bed. He went downstairs, afraid that there was going to be another talk with Dad.

Jason awoke to his first day of school the following day, and he couldn't wait for the day to be over. He didn't want to go, but he had no choice. Jason will just fail here at this school on purpose too, and try to get home as soon as possible. He went downstairs, and Dad left already, so no ride to school like Mom used to do. This meant that Jason had to take the bus, so he walked over to the bus stop, ten minutes early, and there was no one there. When the bus came, Jason was the only one that got picked up. There were about sixteen people on the bus. It felt nothing like home. Back where he lived, there were about forty or fifty people on the bus at one time. This bus felt weird. There was a guy who moved over to the set behind me, and started to ask me questions. I turned my music louder, nearly blowing out my ears, so loud, that you could hear the lyrics if you were in the seat beside me, to try and block his annoying tone and questions. It was a short ride to the school, Jason showed the bus driver his I.D., and got off the bus.

Jason liked to be left alone, but he felt targeted. Like everyone was staring at the pale, new kid in the class, that didn't belong or fit in at all. This happened in all of Jason's classes. He hates people sometimes with their stares, but I had a feeling they were about him. He was bored in English, and an announcement came over to the loudspeaker, "Jason Hearte, please come to the front office." As he left the classroom, Jason felt everyone's eyes follow him; small eruptions of giggles came from the students in their desks. He went to the office, and was about to reach the silver knob, but before he could touch it, this thing burst through the door. Jason turned to run, but it picked him up, and threw him across the room.

It helped me get away; before Jason left, he caught a quick glance at the creature. Jason ran for the exit, and sped out the door, and ran down the street. He thought the monster was following him, so he made random turns to his left and right. He ended up at the library. He ran past the library, but halted when he heard someone call his name; he turned, and found the girl he met yesterday waving to him at the foot of the library steps. Jason approached her, and she said, "This way." he followed, and she pulled out a key, inserted it in the door to the library, and it opened. "What? I thought you said that it was abandoned."

"It was. But the library is mine."

"I am so confused." Jason followed her inside, and the library was striking! There were rows upon rows of bookshelves full of books. The ceiling in the library was so high, and it was painted beautifully like an old church. As if, Michelangelo himself painted it. The painting looked like the bull that was chasing him, and a few other creatures that names were beyond Jason's knowledge. He absolutely loved it. The girl turned to him and said, "Hello Jason. You are safe here now." he realized that her personality changed, as if she was a different person. "Oh, thanks. Let's get out of here," Jason asked. She looked down at me, with grey eyes, that Jason didn't know she had until now, she then said, "You know me," that was when, she grew, tremendously immense, almost as tall as the ceiling, and as she towered above me, he heard her say, "Jason Hearte, I am Athena, Goddess of wisdom." That was when; Jason turned and ran out the door.

"Jason," he heard Athena call out to him as he ran from the building. She was in pursuit too, now down to her normal size; she caught up to him, and pinned him down on the hot pavement. "What do you want from me," Jason screamed. Jason's

"I want nothing from you. I want what's within you."

"Okay, that's weird, and so are you. So you are supposed to be some goddess? That's insane!" Athena only stared back at Jason.

"Great, now we're playing games, the first friend I meet, and she is an old Goddess who is supposed to be in some cave."

"You mean my home, Mount Olympus?"

"Yes, that place. Why aren't you there?"

"I was sent here to come get you. Now hush, come. I will take you home to get your belongings." Athena and Jason began to walk the long way home.

7


End file.
